Crime and hypocrisy

We are not short of conspiracy theorists who see more devils than vast hell can hold. They would have us believe that the whole world is conspiring against us as if it had nothing else to do. The question is whether we need any enemies when we have so many political dregs at all levels of government doing their damnedest to destroy this country. They have apparently succeeded in their endeavour to a considerable extent; they have emptied the state coffers and bankrupted the economy. Some of them have even made a career out of criminal activity, as evident from the alleged involvement of an SLPP member of the Thambuttegama Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) in an attempted robbery, on Monday.

SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam has suspended the party membership of the councillor in custody, we are told. The suspect will be expelled from the party and removed from the PS if investigations prove his involvement in the abortive attempt to rob Rs. 23 million, Kariyawasam has said. That is how political parties should deal with criminals within their ranks. Will Kariyawasam, who has got tough with the Thambuttegama PS member, explain why Chief Government Whip and Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who was fined and given a suspended jail term by the Colombo High Court in an extortion case, has been allowed to retain his SLPP membership? The SLPP also nominated Choka Malli or Premalal Jayasekers to contest the last general election from the Ratnapura District while he was one of the accused in a murder case. Will the SLPP care to explain why he was fielded as a candidate despite murder charges against him? His acquittal by the Court of Appeal came much later.

What action does the SLPP propose to take against those who stand accused of having stolen not just 23 million rupees but billions of dollars from the public, and bankrupted the country? Will it explain how its leaders have amassed so much wealth and acquired properties in the US and other developed countries? Some of them who started out as pump attendants at gas stations overseas are leading the life of Riley at the expense of Sri Lankans, who have had to stretch money, and skip meals. Will the SLPP also care to tell the public how its leaders of humble origins and their children sans any visible sources of income are living high on the hog? A fish is said to rot from the head down. So, the SLPP local councillor’s alleged involvement in the botched heist has come as no surprise. He has only followed his leaders, who however are robbing the public in a far more sophisticated manner without getting caught.

Impavid cop deserves much more!

Sergeant Buddhika Kumara has done the Sri Lanka police proud. He has proved that the Police Department is not without intrepid men and women ready to go beyond the call of duty to protect the public. He not only prevented a robbery near a private bank at Thambuttegama on Monday but also caught the robbers. A video of the gallant cop in action is doing the rounds on the Internet. It is like a scene from a Bollywood action flick!

He swings into action to thwart the heist, and then the robbers try to make good their escape on a motorcycle. He chases the speeding getaway vehicle, and pounces on the pillion rider, causing the robbers to lose balance and fall. He has been promoted to the rank of Sub Inspector (SI). This country would be a much better place if it had more cops like Kumara. He deserves much more, we believe. He should be promoted to a higher rank. He responded to the threat in record time just like police commandos and the Army Special Forces. Above all, he did so of his own volition regardless of the danger he was exposing himself to.

This is in sharp contrast to what his superiors usually do. There have been situations where they had all the time in the world and hundreds of police personnel ready for action to control violent elements, but failed to prevent serious breaches of law. Their failure to stop an SLPP goon attack on the Galle Face protesters on 09 May is a case in point; they also could not neutralise retaliatory violence and arson attacks on the ruling party politicians’ properties. Some OICs have been transferred for their failure to prevent the 09 May incidents, but no action has been taken against their superiors for inaction! Let Buddhika Kumara be promoted to a higher rank and given a handsome reward for his bravery so that others will be encouraged to emulate him